Where are the best suburbs to live outside chicago? (Rockford: sales, new home)

[nbear]

It depends on what you are willing to spend. Since you are from Maryland, the housing here should be a little cheaper than what you would currently pay. I live in the Northern Suburb of Lake Zurich. It was just rated as one of the top 100 places to live for a mid size town by Frommer's. Your husband would take the train out of Barrington to get downtown for his job.

We have an excellent school system as the district has put a lot of money into the education program, especially for special education students. The crime is very low here and they have excellent events for families through the village throughout the year.

The negatives right now are all the construction going on. They are trying to revitalize the town and adding a bypass and it's chaos right now trying to get through town. Pretty much everything is close by such as restaurants, movie theaters and shopping, however, Lake Zurich hasn't lost itself as a mid size town.

Some other recommendations would be Buffalo Grove, Barrington or Arlington Heights.

Good luck.

Nancy

[no user name]

Gonna be 110+ degrees with the heat index, 90 and 100% humidity for the next 6 days...no Venetian night for me this year.

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Originally Posted by NSH

also saturday night is venetian night, a boat parade with fireworks will be kicking off on the lakefront around 8 or so.

[SarahPeters]

Hi Jenne,

If you want a nice backyard in a pleasant community with access to the city, I highly recommend the Northwest suburbs along the Metra line. Arlington Heights has a great downtown for a suburb, and there are a few homes in the $400,000 range, though new construction can run up to a million. My coworkers love their neighborhoods in Des Plaines and Barrington, and Palatine also has some nice neighborhoods. All of these communities have their pluses and minuses but basically, if you find a house in the Northwest suburbs less than a mile from a Metra station, you have probably found a desirable neighborhood.

Good luck!

[Momto2]

Originally Posted by jenne03

Hi guys,

I am looking to find the best suburbs outside of Chicago. We may be moving into the area. My husband would work some place in Chicago..though i am not exactly sure where.
I am looking for what a lot of others want...low crime, good schools, nice area.

What neighborhoods should I begin with my research? What is the housing like in chicago? I live in Maryland now, where the housing is outrageous...is it a similar market? Or will I get a little more for my money in the chicago area.

Honestly, what are the negatives and positives of the area? Crime, weather, the people, the traffic, the schools?

Thank you so much for your advice!!

Do you want to be north or south of the city? Do you have a ny specific preferences - religious, house values, etc. Do you want suburban or more urban suburb. All you negative nellies - - - I think Chicaog and surrounding areas are great.

[eyass]

They are the fastest growing cities in Illinois right now. The Village of Oswego has a very informative website, too! Hope this helps you!

[blliving]

Hi Jenne03,

Do not fear, I live in the northwest suburbs of chicago near o'hare airport. I have lived here the past 18 years and grew up just south of the airport for 20 years. Mt. Prospect and Des Plaines are really nice and diversified. My kids are getting a great education and we love our neighborhood. Crime is low. You can be near the El Train and take it downtown. Arlington Heights is another great neighborhood but a little pricier. The same with Prospect Heights. From the Des Plaines area it takes about 25 minutes without traffic to get downtown. If you go a little further north there is Vernon Hills, Libertyville. To get more for your money on a house you are probably looking at going further west like Geneva, IL but then your husband will be on the road/train for near 2 hours one way. Gurnee, IL is further North, but again he will be on the road longer. There are good times to travel downtown and back and bad traffic times just like any other place. Housing in our area for a 3 bedroom 2 bath home will run in the upper $300's. The other thing you look at is the taxes. Des Plaines and Mt. Prospect probably have the lowest taxes running around $4,000/yr. If you have any other questions, I would be more than happy to chat.

Hope this helps!

[no user name]

No they ARE NOT. The fastest growing are Joliet and Elgin. Not sure where you got your information but sorry, it's incorrect.
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Originally Posted by eyass

They are the fastest growing cities in Illinois right now. The Village of Oswego has a very informative website, too! Hope this helps you!

[hawkfandan]

That's a tough one. It boils down to (a) how much you are willing to spend (b) what's important to you.

[TillingG]

hi!

I am thinking about moving my family to the Chicago area (from New England) and i fell in love with Geneva--but the only problem is, it's more than an hour's commute from Chicago and trains don't even run frequently. SO,i need something closer to chicago--is there a town just like quaint Geneva but closer to Chicago? Thanks so much!

-TillingG

[Indy06]

Anybody know much about NW Indiana? WE are moving to the area and would like to stay closer to our families in South Bend, IN. I have heard varied opinions on the area, there seems to be a stigma attached to living in Indiana. Munster and Crown Point are supposed to be pretty nice - any thoughts?